516 Florida Entomologist 89(4) December 2006

INCIDENCE OF LYTTA UNGUICULARIS (COLEOPTERA: MELOIDAE) ON HYBRID AZALEAS, RHODODENDRON SPP., IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

ADRIEAN MAYORA, JEROME F. GRANT AND PARIS L. LAMBDIN Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4560

aCurrent Address: 107 Park Headquarters Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

The genus Lytta (Coleoptera: Meloidae) con- 1901. He stated that they consumed the blossoms tains approximately 69 species found in the Ne- of the mountain laurel and leaves of peach. Se- arctic (Pinto & Bologna 2002), primarily in the lander (1960) suggested that the somewhat gre- United States and Mexico. Although this genus garious nature of Meloidae, including Lytta spe- contains approximately 17% of all known species cies, serves to maintain the adult beetles near of meloids in the Nearctic (n = 410) (Pinto & Bolo- nesting sites of host bees. gna 2002), little is known about many of these In our study, L. unguicularis was found on aza- species of blister beetles. Several Lytta species are lea plants growing along the northern margin of extremely uncommon in collections and have not one of the balds in the Great Smoky Mountains been seen in decades (Pinto & Bologna 1999). One National Park. The origin of the grassy balds may colorful species, Lytta unguicularis (LeConte, have been natural; however, their present flora is 1866), has a metallic green or blue body and or- partially an artifact of human interference, such ange legs and has been documented in Illinois as animal grazing, lumber harvesting, and fire (type locality), Alabama, North Carolina, and prevention (Lindsay 1977; Lindsay & Bratton Tennessee (Downie & Arnett 1996; Selander 1979). The specific identity and location of this 1960). More specifically, its known distribution bald cannot be provided because of low numbers ranges from eastern Alabama to Illinois and of individuals and the sensitivity of the site, but northeast to the Smoky Mountains in eastern interested persons can contact the Inventory and Tennessee and western North Carolina. This Monitoring Coordinator of the Great Smoky large beetle, with a maximum length of 25 mm, is Mountains National Park for additional informa- uncommon in museum collections and is known tion. This bald, similar to one of the many grassy from fewer than 70 specimens from 9 documented balds that occur only in the Southern Appala- locations (Selander 1960). The larval hosts of chian Mountains, is currently maintained by per- L. unguicularis are unknown; however, other spe- sonnel with the Great Smoky Mountains Na- cies of Lytta are known to parasitize the nests of tional Park. The bald is home to a hybrid swarm native bees, where larvae feed on provisions and of multicolored azaleas, with flowers ranging in possibly on immature bees. Larval hosts include color from red, orange, pink, yellow, to white, and immatures of Apoidea, particularly Anthophori- many of these flower colors and forms are not dae, Megachilidae, Halictidae, and Colletidae found on other balds. Most of the insects visiting (Pinto & Bologna 1999; Bologna & Pinto 2002). flowers of these hybrid azaleas were bees in the Adults reportedly feed on the flowers and foliage families Andrendidae, Halictidiae, and Apidae. of Rosaceae and Ericaceae, including peach, rose, The nests of some of these families of Hy- and mountain laurel, and have been collected on menoptera are hosts of larvae of other species of azalea (Selander 1960). Lytta (Pinto & Bologna 1999). During a study to identify pollinators of a hy- Adult beetle activity was observed on only 5 or brid swarm of azalea, Rhododendron arborescens 6 azaleas located on the north side of the bald on (Pursh) Torrey, R. viscosum (L.) Torrey, and R. 15 and 18 Jun 2000 between 10 AM and 3 PM. This cumberlandense Braun, in the Great Smoky observed activity coincides with Selander (1960), Mountains National Park, a small population who reported that the seasonal incidence of this (<50) of adult L. unguicularis was observed on species was from 2 May to 4 Jul. Adults were ob- flowers and foliage of hybrid azaleas. This report served to feed on the blossoms and foliage of aza- is the first documentation of this species in the lea on each sampling date, but the extent of this Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the feeding was not quantified. Mating also was ob- 1950s and early 1960s based on museum and served on each date. Representative male and fe- park collections and other records (Selander male specimens were collected into individual 3½ 1960). In 1958, adult L. unguicularis were col- dram vials and taken to the laboratory, where lected previously on azalea in the Park (Selander they were sexed, pinned, labeled and identified. 1960). Sherman (1913) reported thousands of bee- Specimens included 1 and 1 collected on 15 tles on peach, rose, and mountain laurel at a site Jun 2000 and 11 and 6 collected on 18 Jun in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, from 8 to 25 Jun 2000. Voucher specimens were deposited in the

Scientific Notes 517

University of Tennessee Insect Museum, the Uni- and Wildlife Service (Halstead & Haines 1992), versity of California Riverside Museum, the Flor- and L. unguicularis in the Great Smoky Moun- ida State Collection of Arthropods (Gainesville), tains National Park may represent a similar case. the Museum of the Great Smoky Mountains Na- Additional research is necessary to more fully de- tional Park, and with the Coleoptera Taxonomic fine the population density, dynamics, and status Working Group at the Louisiana State Arthropod of L. unguicularis in this geographical area. Museum. Only 15 species of meloids including two REFERENCES CITED species of Lytta (L. unguicularis and L. aenea Say) are recorded in the Checklist of Co- leoptera Known from Great Smoky Mountains BOLOGNA, M. A., AND J. D. PINTO. 2002. The Old World genera of Meloidae (Coleoptera): a key and synopsis. National Park (http://www.lsuagcenter.com/ J. Nat. Hist. 36: 2013-2102. Inst/research/departments/arthropodmuseum/ DOWNIE, N. M., AND R. H. ARNETT. 1996. The Beetles of smokieschecklist.htm, 25 Jan 2006); this data- North America, Vol. II: Polyphaga, pp. 891-1721. The base is maintained in support of the ATBI (All Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, Florida. Taxa Biological Inventory) Project in the Great HALSTEAD, J. A., AND R. D. HAINES. 1992. New distribu- Smoky Mountains National Park. Although L. tional records for some candidate species of Lytta in unguicularis is listed as previously found in California (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Pan-Pacific Ento- the Park, no detailed source collection informa- mologist 68: 68-69. tion was provided (Selander 1960). Thus, this LINDSAY, M. M. 1977. Management of grassy balds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Natl. Park research contributes to the known distribution Serv. Mgmt. Rpt. No. 17, 67 pp. and host records of this uncommonly collected LINDSAY, M. M., AND S. P. BRATTON. 1979. The vegeta- species and may encourage researchers to tion of grassy balds and other high elevation dis- learn more about the biology and life history of turbed areas in the Great Smoky Mountains this little known species. National Park. Bull. Torrey Botanical Club 106: 264- 275. SUMMARY PINTO, J. D., AND M. A. BOLOGNA. 1999. The New World genera of Meloidae (Coleoptera): a key and synopsis. This report documents the occurrence of L. un- J. Nat. Hist. 33: 569-620. guicularis on hybrid azaleas in the Great Smoky PINTO, J. D., AND M. A. BOLOGNA. 2002. Family 111. Me- Mountains National Park, representing the first loidae, pp. 522-529 In R. H. Arnett, Jr., M. C. Tho- time it has been recorded in the Park since the late mas, P. E. Skelley, and J. H. Frank (eds.), American 1950s and early 1960s. The infrequent collections Beetles, Vol. 2. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 861 pp. SELANDER, R. B. 1960. Bionomics, systematics, and phy- of a relatively large and conspicuous beetle in a logeny of Lytta, a genus of blister beetles (Co- reasonably well-known and visited area suggests leoptera, Meloidae). Illinois Biol. Monographs, No. that its populations may be limited. Certain other 28, 295 pp. species of Lytta in the western U.S. have been SHERMAN, F., JR. 1913. The Meloidae (Blister-beetles) of identified as ‘species of concern’ by the U.S. Fish North Carolina (Col.). Entomol. News 24: 245-247.